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# abdicate

verb (abdicate, abdicates, abdicated, abdicating)

«abdicate» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. To abdicate is to give up being king or queen. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/abdicate/#m1)
2. (formal) To abdicate a responsibility is to fail to do something you should. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/abdicate/#m2)

### In the lessons

In history lessons it is used for monarchs who stepped down, such as King Edward VIII in 1936. In formal writing it means not taking responsibility. Phrases: abdicate the throne, abdicate responsibility.

### Examples

- King Edward VIII abdicated in 1936 so he could marry. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/abdicate/#x1)
- Queen Margrethe of Denmark abdicated in 2024. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/abdicate/#x2)
- The emperor was forced to abdicate. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/abdicate/#x3)
- Parents cannot abdicate their responsibility to keep children safe. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/abdicate/#x4)
- After the king abdicated, his brother became king. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/abdicate/#x5)
- She refused to abdicate. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/abdicate/#x6)
- But the old king, who had never expected that Jason would return alive, basely refused to fulfil his part of the compact, and declined to abdicate the throne. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/abdicate/#x7)

### Note

Regular verb: abdicated. Noun: abdication. Not the same as resign (for jobs) or retire, though the meaning is similar.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «abdicate» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/abdicate/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«abdicate» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/abdicate.html) on Mova free.